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Celebrating
a Child's Birthday
at Walt Disney World

Celebrating a child's birthday at
Walt Disney World can be as simple or as elaborate
as the family chooses, but in every case, you can count
on cast members making the day special!

Start the party before leaving home by encouraging
your child to plan his or her special day at Walt Disney
World. Kids can create customized maps of Walt Disney
World parks online and then have them mailed to their
homes to take on vacation.

Once you arrive on Disney property, be sure to get
a free, personalized birthday button for your
child from Guest Relations at any of the theme parks
or your Disney World resort front desk. This lets everyone
know you are celebrating, and cast members often find
ways to add some pixie dust to birthdays.

When you check in at each restaurant that day, tell
the host or hostess about the birthday (if he or she
doesn't notice the button). All the Disney table-service
restaurants will provide special, complimentary desserts
for the birthday child. At character meals, some Disney
pals will even write a personalized birthday message
in autograph books.

Upon returning to the hotel, dial the operator on
your Disney resort phone and ask for the character
birthday message -- a fourth freebie!

If your budget allows for birthday "extras" at Disney
World, here are some ideas to consider:

Make a reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table
restaurant and request the Her Royal Highness Package. It adds a princess balloon to your table prior to arriving,
a tiara adorned with crystals and a princess-themed
cake.

Take girls and boys ages 3 and older for a pirate
transformation at The
Pirate's League. Adults
are welcome, too!

Purchase birthday ear hats at The Chapeau in
Magic Kingdom or other stores on Disney property.

If your child enjoys pin trading, give him or
her a selection of birthday pins that are for sale
in the parks.

Order in-room celebrations, which include everything
from flowers and decorations to toys, from the Disney
Florist.

6-inch round "celebration" cakes are available
for purchase at most Disney table-service restaurants
and do not have to be ordered in advance. Simply request
one when you check in at the podium. The price is $21
(as of March 2013).

Amazing custom cakes of various sizes, flavors
and Disney designs also are available but must be ordered
and paid for 48 hours in advance by calling 407-827-2253.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Walt Disney World currently offers one location
for pre-planned birthday celebrations for children
ages 3 to 12 -- Goofy's Party Central at Downtown
Disney Marketplace. (Parties at The Neverland Club
have been discontinued as of March 2013. No word if
or when they will resume.) Parties here are organized
and run by cast members, so it's a hassle-free experience
for the parents. And anyone who has planned a child's
birthday party at home knows that's priceless.

Goofy's Candy Company hosts birthday parties with two
themes: Goofy's Scien-Terrific Birthday Bash and the
Perfectly Princess Party. Both include two party hosts,
a treat to decorate, Goofy Glacier build-a-cup and
glacier, glow accessories, autographed photos of characters,
games, party balloon, invitations and thank-you notes.
The birthday child receives a Goofy gumball machine
and a mylar balloon for the Goofy party or crown, sash,
a boxed glass slipper and mylar balloon for the princess
party.

The parties are an hour and a half long for up to
12 guests, ages 3 to 12, and the cost is $367.38. The
room will accommodate up to 15 children, so three more
may be added for $25 each. Parents can attend and are
free.

Additional food can be ordered through Disney World.
However, Goofy's Candy Company does not allow guests
to bring their own food. Also, these party packages
do not include birthday cakes, so those would need
to be ordered through the Disney cake hotline at 407-827-2253.

For other birthday party ideas, AllEars.Net team
member Kristin Ford has written about some of the events
she has created at Walt Disney World over the years
for her two children. You can read about her experiences
at Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, Chef
Mickey's and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground in this
AllEars.Net newsletter article.

READER
BIRTHDAY IDEAS

Preschoolers

Pamela in Illinois: Our son has
had both his birthdays (he is 2) at Chef Mickey's
at the Contemporary. This is a wonderful place for
a small child! It is noisy and busy which keeps their
attention and they can meet the characters that a small
child is most likely to know in a less hurried setting.
(For children under 2, the quick meets in the park
can be difficult since they are just getting used
to the large character when their turn is over.) It
is a place you can sort of relax with a small child
- it is already so noisy you don't worry about disturbing
the other guests.

If you ask
your server, they will bring a decorated cupcake
to the table with a candle in it during one of the "Celebration" periods
so your little one can still get to blow out their
own candle.

Julie Tomas: For my son's
4th birthday we arranged to have a small
Party at the Grand Floridian Cafe around lunch. It
was very convenient and we could just hop on the Monorail
from the MK to get there. I called a couple weeks in
advance of our arrival and ordered two small cakes--
one with Capt. Hook and one with Peter Pan. They turned
out wonderfully.

When we
arrived our table was decorated with balloons
and my son was treated like a king. The cast member
in charge of arranging the event even went so far
as to have his presents to be sent back to our
Disney resort room.

Also as a
little side note: I had collected Disney-themed
birthday cards for a few months prior to his birthday
and signed them as the characters that were on the
card. (The Toy Story card I found was signed
by "Buzz
and Woody.") All in all it was a wonderful
memory for him and for me as well. In addition to his
special party, we told the characters at the Castle
breakfast and they gave him a special certificate that
they all signed for his birthday.

Prinbeebe: We had a
great idea for our upcoming vacation for my
4-year-old granddaughter's
birthday. The night before her birthday we would stop
in at the Tinker Bell Gift Shop in Fantasyland so she
could pick out her favorite Princess outfit for herself.
The next day we would have her party at Cinderella's
Royal Table with breakfast with the Princesses with
her in costume! A terrific photo op. for us to get
our Princess Summer with the other Princesses!

Ages
5 to 11

Debi: For
my son's 7th birthday last year, my brother
and sister-in-law treated us to three days at Coronado
Springs for a pre-beach vacation trip. Since my brother
lives out of town, just spending time with him was
the best birthday present. They spent time in the great
pool at Coronado and we did three parks in one day.
Sometimes just being able to spend time together is
the best birthday. He has already been in three parades
and we were the Met-Life family of the day, but he
still talks about riding Tower of Terror with Uncle
Bobby and Aunt Luci. Simple is best!

Todd, Michelle and Alyssa Von Almen: I
read how the birthday person can get a special button
at Town Hall and thought that wasn't enough for our
little Disney fanatic. I spent a few often painful
hours with a needle, thread and fabric paint to put
together my masterpiece: the birthday shirt. Included
on the shirt was my daughter's name, the date, her
age and lots of other decorations. My creation was
a HUGE hit with guests and cast members alike. My daughter
was amazed at the amount of people who not only knew
her name but also wished her a happy birthday. I hope
this at least gave someone an idea or two for a special
birthday at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Crystal Johnson: Our
last visit to Disney coincided with our son
Dylan's 7th birthday. While getting haircuts for all
the kids at the barber shop on Main Street in the Magic
Kingdom, the hair stylist discovered it was his birthday.
She spiked his hair with green gel (he
chose the color) and sprinkled confetti. Then one of
the Dapper Dan's happened by and he rounded up the
rest of the group to sing "Happy Birthday."
They also told us about a pin you can get from the
City Hall stating that it is the wearer's birthday.
Cast members are on the lookout for those pins and
they all wished him a "Happy Birthday" whenever
they noticed it. With all the salutations, not to
mention the attention and comments he received from
his "cool" hair, Dylan was floating on air.
It was almost as if Tinker Bell had sprinkled him
with pixie dust.

Another birthday was spent at Epcot. My oldest
child had turned 10 and he requested a passport that
you take around to the countries of Epcot and have
stamped. At each country I made sure the cast member
knew that it was his birthday. Now he has "Happy
Birthday" written in
many different languages in his passport. Many
cast members also sang
"Happy Birthday" to him in their
native languages.

JonNC: We spent
my son's 6th birthday camping at Fort
Wilderness. We had the usual assortment
of craft supplies available in our camper, so the
night before his big day, I took a paper dinner plate
and glued letters on it made out of felt saying "Be
Nice to Me, I am 6 Today!!" This was hung around
his neck on a cord braided out of some left over wool.
All in all not a terribly attractive thing, but he
thought it was really neat.

And, during
our day at the Magic Kingdom we had dozens
and dozens of people wish him a Happy Birthday.
We had a cast member give him an ice cream bar, and
we had another take us to the front of the line
for Splash Mountain. Many magical things happened because
of that silly sign.

Roxanne Stritt: Our 7-year-old is
a veteran when it comes to celebrating his
birthday at Walt Disney World. We stayed at a Boardwalk
Villa with a view of the waterway and the Swan and
Dolphin. We told the cast members at the front desk
it was his birthday when we checked in.

The highlight
of the day was the Pirate Cruise at the Grand
Floridian. The kids get to go out without the parents
and with only cast members. The numbers are small and
the attention from the great cast members is wonderful.
These programs have some of the best CMs outside of
the parks. They may not have the "character"
of a park adventure, but they treat the kids
with respect and make lasting friendships.

The day had started with Mickey calling and
waking him up. Then, cast members brought balloons,
photos and a white chocolate Mickey in an ebony shadow
box to our room.

The day ended on a bang with a view of the fireworks
at the Studios, plus special GRAND fireworks at the
Swan and Dolphin that night. (The front desk told him
to look off his balcony that night for special fireworks
for his birthday.) We told him
that he could never beat that birthday his entire life.

Preteens

Gail Solomita: This
past October, we celebrated our daughter's
12th birthday while
we were at WDW. It was her first trip to
WDW,and since we had adopted her earlier in the year,
we wanted to make her first birthday with us as special
as we possibly could.

As soon as we made our trip reservations
(months in advance), we booked the Hoop Dee Doo Revue
for the evening of her birthday. We then asked her
which park she wanted to spend her birthday in, and
she picked Magic Kingdom (no surprise there)! So,
we were staying at the CBR, and we headed on over
to Fort Wilderness in the morning, and had breakfast
at Trail's End. We then took the boat to MK. We had
lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table, complete with decorations
and a special dessert. (She loved this!) We had made
a reservation, of course, so they knew our names when
we arrived, etc., and made it so special for her. In
the afternoon, we were in the right place at the right
time (must have been some pixie dust) when Minnie and
Mickey came out of nowhere right where we were standing.
Got a great shot of our daughter with Minnie, and
ON her birthday! So, after the day at MK, we headed
back to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, which she loved and
wants to do again when we go back. That's how you celebrate
a children's birthday at WDW! The three of us were
so stuffed by the end of the day with all that eating!
But what a way to go!

Teenagers

Debbie Jeffers: For
my daughter's 16th birthday at WDW, we used Jane
from Gifts
of a Lifetime who was absolutely
wonderful. My daughter is a big Tinker Bell freak
and Jane made sure everything was Tinker Bell
themed. We also celebrated at Hollywood & Vine and
she got to swing dance with Goofy. She
loves to dance! The cast and characters sang happy
birthday and that is also one of the only places I
know of that gives you a balloon along with a very
large cupcake and a little Winnie the Pooh statue that
she still has, two years later.

Any Age

Kelley Olley: Don't even
tell the birthday child that they are going.
This is tough when all other family members know, but
the surprise is worth it. When you get to the airport,
tell them right before you get on the plane. Even in
today's tight security, the flight attendants will
even help you with an on the plane surprise! Tell everyone
else along the way. When you make your reservation,
let them know. We have returned to a decorated
room. Let the
child pick the park for the day, and the plan
of attack. Plan a character
meal, and tell the restaurant! We've asked
that the "favorite"
character bring out the gift. We have
a May surprise planned, and my little guy has
no clue. His sisters know, and are beside themselves
helping plan, because they have the memories of how
great their WDW birthdays were.

Jennifer Abdrabbo: The
following birthday ideas would be more suited
for families who are traveling and not so much for
families who may live in the area and be taking a group
for the day:

-- Have a special pair of Mickey Mouse or Minnie
Mouse Ears with the inscription
"Birthday Girl/Boy" and date made
up in advance for the birthday girl/boy to wake up
to. (You could either take care of this in advance
with the help from one of the guest service attendants
or sneak away while the kids are on a ride with a long
line). I would also have a special shirt made up that
makes it obvious who's birthday it is... they'll love
the constant attention they get.

-- Allow the birthday girl or boy to choose
the location for lunch. Have in your backpack the
birthday hats and some candles to sneak to one of
the hostesses. (You can have a couple small birthday
presents hidden in your back pack.) When making reservations,
let them know that a member in your party will be celebrating
a birthday.

-- Let the parade attendants at the parks know
about his/her special day. They are very good about
including kids in the parades and I don't think they
could turn down the request for such a special person.

-- Order a birthday
Pooh, Mickey or Tigger and have it delivered to the
room for the special birthday girl/boy to come back
to. I guarantee they will go to bed grinning ear to
ear.

Patty Thorpe: Be
sure the birthday boy or girl wears a Guest
of Honor badge. If his or her name is not available
on the rack, there are blanks and the name can be
engraved. It's fun to have a name badge on and be called
by name. I was even mistaken once by another guest
who wanted to know why I was just sitting on a bench
instead of working! Don't be shy about spreading the
news that somebody's having a birthday! You never know
what might happen!

DeAnna in New Jersey: We are planning
a trip to Disney this April and will be there
for my daughter's birthday. To make the day special
for her, we have allowed her to plan the entire day.
She is making the itinerary for the day, including
what theme park to visit, where to eat lunch and dinner,
and what shows to see. It is totally up to her and
she is having a blast planning the day exactly as she
sees fit. This planning process is an added excitement
for her, even before the trip actually takes place.

Doreen Wallen: Breakfast
at Chef Mickey's is always a lot of fun, with
a special cupcake for the birthday person and extra
attention from the characters. Then it's off to the
Magic Kingdom to get a birthday button from City Hall
and a special birthday call from a character. The rest
of the day is theirs to call the shots. We almost always
end up at Beaches and Cream for a Kitchen Sink. Ask
the server for bowls so you can take the pictures and
then scoop out what you like before everything melts
together! We love our WDW birthday memories!

Kay Holt: We celebrated
a birthday by renting a party barge from the
Grand Floridian. The food and cake were provided by
their catering department. We left the dock in time
to see the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom
(we had a perfect, unobstructed view). Then we enjoyed
the light parade they have on the lake every evening.
You couldn't have a more perfect birthday.

Stephen Grubb: If you ride Space Mountain,
make sure an operator sees your button for a possible
extra special surprise!

Marsha Emch: Find a hat
that your kid likes and buy two of them and
personalize them for this specific birthday. Then go
find Mickey and have both your kid and Mickey don the
same birthday hats and snap a picture -- your own private
memory of Mickey and your birthday. Depending on the
type if hat, you may want to tie extra long string
onto Mickey's hat so that it fits on his head.

If Mickey
is real busy and doesn't want to deal with
both hats, then just have Mickey hold the hat over
your kid's head so it looks like Mickey is putting
on your kid's birthday hat. Of course, make sure Mickey
signs the hat.

Jim Sosinski: The
very best way to celebrate a birthday at WDW,
either as an adult or child, is a Birthday Celebration
IllumiNations Cruise. On a recent trip, I had two children's
and one adult (The Big 5-0) birthdays. I booked two
boats for the IllumiNations cruise, one from the BoardWalk
and one from the Yacht & Beach Club. They were moored
together under the bridge inside of Epcot from UK to
France. Both boats were decked out with balloons, streamers,
birthday signs. Cake and refreshments were provided.
It was hard to tell who had more fun, the adults or
kids. This was a birthday event that will be remembered
for years to come.

READER
BIRTHDAY STORIES

Janice Dion: We spent
Oct. 9-18 at WDW celebrating my daughter's
5th birthday. Per your wonderful website, we told
everyone that it was her birthday. She had birthday
pins from all the parks on her lanyard so no one could
miss her. Many cast members stopped to say, "Happy
Birthday, Princess!" all
week long. They didn't care if her birthday
had been a day or two before. At our resort, she received
a citation from the front desk, a card from Minnie,
and balloons! At a character breakfast at the Crystal
Palace she received a card signed by all the Pooh
characters and a cupcake. The table was decorated
with streamers and confetti. At the American Adventure
Pavilion in Epcot, the cast member on duty took her
by the hand as we came out of the show.
He asked if it was her birthday then took her next
door to the restaurant where he got everyone's attention
and announced that it was Laura from Rhode Island's
birthday. He then had everyone do a Hip, Hip, Hooray.
He also took her up to the counter and got her a red,
white, and blue jello and one for her sister who looked
so disappointed. We celebrated all week long. We couldn't
have asked for a more enjoyable and memorable experience.

Ray Meany: Obviously
not all of us can celebrate our birthdays at
WDW, but when you do have a chance to visit, take
the opportunity to Celebrate Your "Unbirthday".
Remember the tea party in 'Alice in Wonderland'? That's
when I first learned that there are 364 "Unbirthdays" in
a year. When we went to the character breakfast at
1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian) which featured the
Mad Hatter, he got all the characters that day to sing "A
Very Merry Unbirthday" song to my princess --
my wife, Gayle. Obviously she is not a child, but she
certainly felt very young again and her face shone
from all the attention -- or was it just from being
embarrassed?!

Mary Ann Wolfe: We've been
to WDW with our boys now 7 and 3 six times
in the last four years. Two times have been for their
birthdays. When making reservations for our meals,
I always have them note that we'll be celebrating a
child's birthday. When we arrived for our lunch at
the Crystal Palace they announced that we were celebrating
Grant's second birthday. They decorated the table
with Mickey Ear confetti before we were seated. Then
after eating our lunch, Piglet delivered a cupcake & candle
along with a card signed by Mickey & friends while
Tigger and Eeyore came cheering & clapping
and the cast members & guests sang Happy
birthday. It was very nice. We also did that for Craig's
6th birthday. The villains delivered
a cupcake & card at the 1900 Park Fare
in the Grand Floridian. The cast members sang & made
the birthday extra special. It's worth it to mention
that you're celebrating a child's birthday when you
check in at the restaurant. They really make it a special
time!

Kelly Banks: We were in
WDW last December to celebrate both of
our children's birthdays. We let them each choose a
restaurant for their special birthday dinner. Of course,
my daughter (age 6) chose to spend her birthday at
Cinderella Castle. We made dinner reservations there
for 6:30 p.m. on the Wednesday evening. It was perfect
because we watched the fireworks just before entering
the castle, and while we were waiting for our table
Cinderella appeared in the lobby. My daughter was
thrilled and we took pictures of her and Cinderella
sitting on the huge throne in the lobby area. The restaurant
staff brought both our kids a special birthday dessert
with a small chocolate crown on the top, and sprinkled
the kids with Mickey Mouse confetti while the whole
restaurant sang Happy Birthday. My daughter felt like
a princess and this is her most special memory of
our whole vacation.

We were
staying at the Caribbean Beach resort, and
one day we returned to our room to find birthday cards
and gifts from Mickey Mouse on the kids beds. Our thoughtful
chambermaid had seen the kids birthday cards in the
room, and decided to spread a little Disney magic.
The kids thought that Cinderella had told Mickey not
to forget about their birthdays. We will all remember
the 'Disney Birthdays' as truly special events.